The Japanese smartphone manufacturer Sharp in collaboration with Google launched a new Android One smartphone called Sharp X1. It is priced at JPY 70,524 (approx $625 / Rs. 40,300), and its availability is only limited to Japan. At this price, the Sharp X1 is the costliest Android One smartphone ever launched. Last year, the company launched the Aquos 507SH as the first Waterproof Android One smartphone. Now, the new Sharp X1 also comes with IP68 certification making it both water and dust resistant. It comes in White, Dark Purple, and Mint Green color options

It sports a 5.3-inch IGZO LCD display offering Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution. Under the hood, the Sharp X1 houses the 64-bit Snapdragon 435 (MSM8940) octa-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz and comes coupled with Adreno 505 GPU. The device also packs 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage that can be expandable upto additional 256GB via MicroSD card slot. It runs on the latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box and will receive the guaranteed software updates at least for the next 24 months. Apart from the stock Android UI, we can also expect no pre-loaded bloatware apps.

There is a 16.4MP shooter on the rear with hybrid autofocus and LED flash. For Selfies, the Sharp X1 features an 8MP sensor on the front with the wide-angle lens. It is backed by a 3,900mAh non-removable battery that also supports fast charging. According to the company, the battery on this device can give up to 25 hours of talk time and lasts up to 885 hours on standby mode. It sports a metallic frame with the curved glass on the front and back of the device. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, NFC, 3.5mm Audio port, and USB Type-C port.

The physical home button on the front also houses the fingerprint sensor that can be used for authorizing mobile payments like Android Pay. It measures 152 x 74 x 8.9 mm and weighs 169 grams. While the Android One program was launched to offer affordable smartphones for the next billion users, the Sharp X1 doesn’t justify the actual mission of the program. How many of you would still prefer the Android One smartphone with stock Android over the Chinese smartphones with better specifications? Share your opinion with us by commenting down below or tweet us at @PhoneRadarBlog.